Honourable Speaker and Fellow Councillors
ActionSA has several concerns with the budget before us
Firstly,
ActionSA is concerned that this budget does not address insourcing. Insourcing restores the dignity of low-ranking officials e.g., security guards, cleaners, plumbers, mechanics etc and moves them away from exploitation by tenderpreneurs when these services are outsourced.
We believe that the contracted services on the budget must be significantly reduced and only be reserved for specialised skills.
This will allow the municipality to employ a greater labour force with adequate pay thus reducing the amount of outsourcing in the city that is currently aiding corrupt elements and hampering service delivery.
Secondly,
ActionSA is concerned about the high tariff increases that businesses are faced with.
Businesses are the lifeblood of a municipal economy.
Without business, a municipality will not be able to function and provide services to its residents.
Businesses in eThekwini have been faced with COVID.
Businesses in eThekwini have been faced with civil unrest and looting.
Businesses in eThekwini have been faced with two floods.
Businesses in eThekwini have been faced with poor service delivery and a municipality plagued with corruption.
Now businesses in eThekwini are being faced with massive tariff increases.
This is unacceptable. The municipality should be providing an environment for businesses to flourish. This will lead to the creation of much-needed jobs.
Speaker, we are facing the highest level of unemployment this city has ever seen. Our people need jobs but for that to happen we need a conducive environment for businesses.
Through increased economic activity not only will there be revenue gains for the city but there will also be social gains for our people. This is what we should be striving for.
Currently, businesses in eThekwini are either closing or moving to other municipalities where they are appreciated and get value for their municipal expenditure.
We need businesses more than they need us and we cannot achieve eThekwini’s 2030 Vision by stifling the growth of businesses.
Thirdly Speaker,
ActionSA remains very concerned with the high amount of debt that is owed by government departments and state-owned entities.
This ANC led municipality has allowed ANC led government departments and state-owned entities to rack up such massive amounts of debt without consequences.
At the end of March 2022, this outstanding debt was more than R1 billion. This represents 2% of the municipality’s budget.
Before talking about borrowings and raising tariffs, the municipality should be collecting this R 1 billion.
Why should residents and businesses be penalised through tariff increases due to the inability to collect a debt from ANC led government departments and state-owned entities?
ActionSA welcomes the reference to the recommendation in the budget regarding the collection of government departments and state-owned entities’ debt. However, ActionSA believes that rather than being an additional recommendation to the budget this matter should be a priority.
For the above reasons, ActionSA will be voting against the budget.
